Parliamentary Panel Meets OTT Stakeholders Amid Content Debate

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Parliamentary panel meets OTT stakeholders to address concerns over vulgarity in content.
• The government considers stricter regulations, while industry groups advocate for self-regulation.
• Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw calls for stronger laws to regulate OTT platforms and social media.
• In March 2023, 18 OTT platforms and 57 related social media accounts were blocked for obscene content.
• OTT platforms like Voovi, Neon X VIP, and Dreams Films were among those removed for violating content guidelines.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has recently held a meeting with the OTT platform operators regarding concerns about alleged vulgarity in content. According to industry sources, representatives from JioStar, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix attended.

The Meeting which was chaired by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who led the parliamentary panel, was held in Bengaluru. It took various subjects for discussion, including the use of artificial intelligence and the challenges faced by OTT platforms. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting officials also attended.

In December of the previous year, industry organizations gathered with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology to address the expansion of OTT platforms and raise concerns about the presence of obscene content.

While the government is contemplating stricter regulations, industry groups are pushing for self-regulation under the Information Technology Act.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stressed the importance of strengthening the laws regulating social media and OTT platforms.

He pointed out that although social media fosters freedom of expression, the absence of editorial oversight has resulted in unchecked content, including vulgarity, which makes regulatory intervention essential.

In March of the previous year, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, in collaboration with several intermediaries, took action against 18 OTT platforms for airing obscene, vulgar, and, in some instances, pornographic content.

As a result, 19 websites, 10 apps (7 on the Google Play Store and 3 on the Apple App Store), along with 57 related social media accounts, were blocked in India.

Anurag Singh Thakur, the then Minister of Information and Broadcasting, had consistently emphasized the responsibility of OTT platforms to curb obscenity, vulgarity, and abuse under the guise of ‘creative expression.’

On March 12, 2024, he confirmed the removal of 18 such platforms in line with this principle.

The blocked OTT platforms such as Dreams Films, Voovi, Yessma, Uncut Adda, Tri Flicks, X Prime, Neon X VIP, Besharams, Hunters, Rabbit, Xtramood, Nuefliks, MoodX, Mojflix, Hot Shots VIP, Fugi, Chikooflix and Prime Play.

A total of 12 accounts were blocked on Facebook, 17 on Instagram, 16 on X (formerly Twitter), and 12 on YouTube.